


Oxenfree

by philliam



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Drama, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Friendship, I'm using Sanchez and Gyeong as their surnames, Keith and Shiro are step-brothers, Korean Keith (Voltron), Multi, Oxenfree AU, Pidge is angry af at Shiro, Slow Burn, klance, lots of memes and vines and headcanons, time loops, tragic backstories
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2017-02-15
Packaged: 2018-09-24 16:32:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9770492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/philliam/pseuds/philliam
Summary: They stared at the communication tower that loomed like a giant in front of them. It was the sort of building designed to make humans feel like ants.Keith swallowed and regarded warily the handrail missing stairs. "Okay, that's really ... not safe."The mockery in Lance's words was palpable. "Oh, are you scared?"He gave Lance a short, hard look; Keith's voice a monotone, dark sound in the quiet night. "With you being the only person around to catch me if I slip? Terrified."------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Keith really didn't want to go on this island trip and he really didn't want to be friends with this obnoxious Cuban boy that swears faster in Spanish than Keith can think in Korean.But strange things start to happen, the island bears its own secret and either they discover and resolve the tragedy or they'll never find the way back home.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. I totally planned a Voltron Zoo AU. And IT'S STILL HAPPENING I SWEAR. But right now I ReALLY wANT TO WRITE SOME ANGST. So if you've played Oyenfree you already have the basics about what's gonna happen. I'll make a few changes, try to get as close to the Voltron Universe as possible (names, places).
> 
> The story will have Oxenfree-plot and my own plot because of course I was unable to stop my mind from getting crazy with ideas. I'd be happy if some of you stay all the way with me.
> 
> This is one of many attempts to write a story in English. I'm sure there are mistakes and if you find them I'd be grateful if you'd let me know.  
> I'd also like to have different languages included (mostly Spanish, Korean and Japanese) but oh what surprise, I speak on of them (except a little Japanese). If someone could help me out, I'd pay you with my love.  
> But for not I'll use italic to show when Keith speaks Japanese/Korean and Shiro (Japanese) because that's what Keith understands. Spanish will be in Spanish (please don't fail me Google Translator).
> 
> Oh and dialogue that's from the radio will occur in «(TEXT)».

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith is afraid of the sea, socializing and Shay's killer biceps.

 

 

 _if i'm not back again this time tomorrow_  
**{carry on, carry on}  
**_as if nothing really matters_

 

 

 

 

 

“Keith? Keith, are you with us?”

Keith opened his eyes. His neck was stiff and he groaned as he shifted in his seat to get into a better position. The soft rocking of the boat made him feel totally disorientated and Keith needed a second to remember where he was. The sound of screeching seagulls and waves hitting the boat was such a foreign orchestra to his ears that Keith jolted up in surprise.

“Hey, you alright there, buddy?” The smooth voice dragged Keith's attention from the white railing that separated the cloudy sky in two halves to the owner, a young man in his early twenties who gave Keith a worried but soft smile. “I didn't know you were seasick.”

Keith took a deep breath. His lungs were filled with salty sea air and he felt like being on a foreign planet even though it was obvious that he was still on Earth. He'd never seen the ocean, never had swum in its depths but currently he was on a tiny boat on his way to an island in the middle of nowhere, nothing _but_ the big sea and water around him. That was a fast improvement.

Groaning, Keith massaged the back of his neck, slightly pulling at the black hair that had grown way too long since the last time it'd seen some scissors. This was back then when his mother had still been with him. It seemed so long ago. He forced a smile on his face.

“Yeah, doing fine,” Keith lied. He was a great liar when he tried. “Just a little nervous to meet the others.”

 

'Nervous' was an understatement. Keith had barely been able to sleep the night before and in the morning he'd actually considered faking some sort of stomach issue just to stay home. It was only because he'd already grown fond of Shiro and couldn't bare the thought of refusing even though Shiro was always putting so much effort into trying to make Keith socialize that he decided to come along. But the closer they came to the coast, the more he regretted that decision.

As if reading Keith's mind, Shiro said: “You know, I'm really glad you came with me. I mean, your Dad is really nice and my Mom still wants to get to know you better but us leaving for the weekend gives them the opportunity to get a little break.”

“Yeah, they need ...uh,” Keith was so bad at making small-talk, it made him cringe inside. “They need a time-out.”

Either Shiro didn't notice how awkward this was for Keith or he was kind enough to ignore it. Instead, he looked back at the bow. The sound of female voices and laughter drifted to them and Keith's whole body tensed in instinctive awareness. The voices grew louder, then two girls were heading for the boys.

 

“Yeah, that totally sounds like something Lance would do!” the dark-skinned girl laughed, head tilted back, showing her white, straight teeth. Allura van Altea was not only owner of a really cool name, she was also one of the most gorgeous girls Keith had ever seen. Everything about her screamed 'exclusive': Her silky, bulky white hair, her vibrant blue eyes surrounded by ebony black lashes. The pinkish tattoos on her high cheekbones, the stylish black skinny jeans hugging her curvy hips. If only she was a guy.

Another girl was following Allura, Shay B-something was her name but Keith couldn't remember. He was bad with names. She was a little taller, chubbier and seemed so smile 24/7. Her dark hair fell to her chin and she wore those big, round earrings that confused and terrified Keith. How did women manage their day without getting stuck on those things and ripping their ears off? It was wizardry.

 

Shay noticed Keith staring at her and gave him a soft wave. She had killer biceps. But then Keith remembered that Shay had told him she and her brother (Rex? Rhys? Reece?) were weightlifters and he managed a nervous smile. He did not want to get on her bad side.

“What did Lance do?” Shiro asked, looking from Shay to Allura. He leaned back in the uncomfortable plastic chair and crossed his legs at the ankles. He looked so relaxed that Keith immediately felt the tension in his shoulders dissipate.

“Oh, you know that Lance totally loves memes and vine, yes?” Allura took the seat beside Shiro, who chuckled in exasperation. “Who doesn't know.”

“Yes. He's got that Dos Santos chick as a professor in one class and she's super strict when it comes to students coming late and he told the freshmen in one of his marine biology lextures there's only one exception that only senior students know.”

“What did he say?”

Allura almost burst out into laughing again. “'If you're running late, then you gotta Naruto-run late.'”

Shiro groaned. “Please tell me this is a joke.”

“No, Hunk filmed it,” Shay giggled. “They got over hundredthousand notes on Tumblr.”

 

It was always unpleasant when people talked and laughed about something oneself didn't know anything about. This wasn't the first time Keith felt excluded but he wished it could be the last. Since his Mom's death he and his father had always been on the move, living in that little town, trying to make a home in that small village. Keith never stayed long enough to make friends and soon he completely gave up on the thought that he was ever going to make some. It was exhausting, people came with expectations Keith often wasn't able to fulfil and then they'd act like it was _his_ fault. Maybe Keith was better off alone. He'd spent most of his childhood that way and his teenage didn't looking much different even though Shiro tried to help him.

“… and Hunk told me it used to be a military base,” Shay's gentle voice carried to Keith and he snapped out of his thoughts and focused back on the conversation. At least he could try and be polite.

“Well, it used to be a ranching thing, then it was turned into an army thing, then it became a bird thing and a museum,” she counted off her fingers. “He said Henry Fonda stationed there for a bit.”

“Hunk certainly knows his Edward Island-basics,” Allura marveled, eyes roaming to look at the coast in the distance that slowly grew larger. “I'm impressed he has place for other things in his mind besides engineering.”

“Yes! It is really impressive how much he knows, isn't it?!” Shay agreed a little too fast and too eager, causing the other two to grin knowingly. Keith arched an eyebrow at the red shade spreading over Shay's cheeks. She avoided their eyes and stared at the ground, fists knitting the soft fabric of her yellow wool dress. Her voice was much quieter, barely audible. “I am so obvious, oh no …”

“Relax.” Allura slid her arm around Shay's shoulders, almost pulling the girl on her lap. “It's adorable and I bet Hunk really likes listening to you too.”

Her voice lifted suspiciously at the last part and she winked at Shay, but the latter only tilted her head in question. Allura sighed and let her go.

 

First Lance, now Hunk. There was also a Pidge or Fridge, that much Keith knew thanks to Shiro giving him a crash course in all names and besides, he talked a lot about them. They seemed to meet on a daily basis, all of them hanging around at the same campus and sometimes Keith felt a hot surge of jealousy scorching his insides. To have friends was like Christmas everyday. To have _cool_ friends sounded as impossible as exploring the universe. He'd like to have the first for starters and maybe the second in his next life.

“So … Keith.”

His head snapped to the left, eyes big as he stared at Allura whose grin was brighter than the setting sun hidden behind the dark clouds. She continued, “Shiro told me you're looking for a mechanic job in town?”

Of course Shiro would tell her. Keith shot his step-brother a silent glare and noticed with slight satisfaction that Shiro dropped his gaze in guilt.

“Yeah, I'm still looking. I thought about starting at Rollo's but I heard his reputation's going south.”

“Rollo means bad business.” Allura nodded, a deep frown on her face. “I suggest you ask someone from _Marmora_ , they're the best around.”

“Okay, thanks.”

 _See, you are able to make decent small-talk, Keith. And you're absolutely not gonna tell her that you already tried to apply at_ Marmora Fixes _and that they told you mercilessly you're not good enough_.

His thoughts were totally destroying but Keith kept his smile. His turn to ask. That's how people socialized, right? “So … how do you and Shiro know each other? I know you're best friends but he never told me the story.”

“And there's a good reason I didn't,” Shiro said as he stretched in his seat. His black shirt rode all the way up to his navel, revealing smooth skin and toned abs. Keith dropped his gaze to Shiro's feet and stared intensely at his step-brother's boots.

“Oh, from way back when,” Allura laughed, “like Paleozoic. Grade school era. Young enough that I've seen him in a bathtub and it wasn't sexual at all.” Shiro groaned but Allura just shrugged. “We both looked like little skinned potato blobs. But we really started hitting off when some nasty brats from our neighbourhood thought they could do anything they wanted just because they were a few years older. You see, Shiro wasn't always this strong, independent muscle man he's know.”

Funny. Keith had imagined that even as a toddler Shiro had always had those broad shoulders and arms that could bench press ten children. Allura continued, “One day they came up to Shiro and tried to steal his lunch box. You remember? The one with the pink flowers and the rainbow on the front side?”

Shiro sighed contentedly. “How could I ever forget.”

“Luckily I was around. I threw around a few punches and they fled like little mice. All bark and no bite.”

With a soft smile pulling at the corners of Allura's lips, she exchanged a short glance with Shiro but that short exchange was heavily loaded with emotions Keith couldn't completely decipher. He'd never experienced this kind of love. Unconditional, platonic. One soul in two bodies.

Hot shame shot through Keith and he stared at his fingertips as he was reminded of this one R.E. lesson in school when they talked about the Yiddish word _bashert_ . The voice of his teacher resonated loud and clear in Keith's head. “ _Bashert_ __means 'fate' or 'destiny' and is used as a term when you've found your predestined marriage partner or soulmate_. _ ”

Keith had never believed such nonsense and he's still not fully convinced. But for the sake of Shiro and Allura he allows this small seed of hope and wish to bath in sunshine.

 

« _Dear passengers, we'll be arriving soon! Please check under your seat to make sure you don't leave behind any personal belongings like your bags or your sun glasses or your dogs or grandchildren_!» A male voice, thick of British accent like Allura's, came from the speakers above their heads. _«And if you picked up a complimentary disposable radio, remember to tune to 102.3 at the various plaques! I encourage you to listen in to the Edwards Island Walking Tour and hear more about the fascinating events of this historical landmark_!»

The enthusiasm in the man's voice was palpable and Keith wondered aloud, “Who's talking?”

“That's Coran,” Allura briefly explained. She was on her knees and dugged in her bag. “He owns this little beauty of a ship and was willing to take us to the island.”

“What is it called again? Volta?” Shiro crossed his arms. The little hairs on his arms stood and he rubbed over the goosebumps. Keith hadn't noticed how fast the evening had rolled in and how cool it had become.

“Voltron,” Allura corrected him. “Don't let him catch you mispronouncing or you'll never hear the end of it. Now where is this— Ah, got it!” She pulled a Polaroid camera out of her bag and showed it proudly to the others. “I decided to record as much as possible, especially because this is Keith's first trip with us.”

“Uh, we don't have to—“ Keith tried but was promptly interrupted by an excited Shay, “Let's do it!”

“Come on, Keith.” Shiro smiled hopefully. “Making memories is nice.”

Keith let out a shaky breath. It was only one picture. Nothing too dramatic. He followed the girls on the bow and tried to casually stay close and at the same time not too close. It ended with Shay's one arm around him, her other on Allura's shoulder and Shiro on his other side, smiling proudly as if Keith had won the national championship in the discipline 'Not-so-awkward-after-all' … which Keith basically had in his mind.

 

Allura kept the picture and said it would be more fun to look at all at the end of their trip and no one dared to argue. Before they could scatter, Allura asked, “Shay, do you have the radio Hunk asked you to bring along?”

Her response came immediately. “Of course!” Now it was Shay who was deeply immersed in the contents of her back. Keith always wondered how they could fit so much stuff in those little things.

The radio Allura mentioned was a tiny little thing and seemed more like a toy than an actual functional device. And it was old. On the top was the setting dial that allowed to switch between channels and right below that a slim, dark screen displayed the numbers. A small arrow pointed at 97.

“Our college has a radio station and Nyma, a friend of ours, is filling in because Haggar got mono from some track runner or something. It doesn't matter. What _matters_ is that she's gonna say something right now about our thing, so… Please, Shay, turn it to 88.3 so I can tell her we heard it.”

Shay quickly turned the dial as everyone leaned forward in expectation. Soon, a girl's voice was heard on the radio. « _… and this song has been stuck in my head all day so I basically can't— oh … Oh! Actually, it's a little after five o´clock which means my dear friend Allura and her buddies are just touching down on Edwards Island for the yearly beach ritual or whatever we call it now. I promised her to play a song, uh … she said it's supposed to be a message to someone and this person will know that they're meant as soon as they hear it, so here is Taylor Swift featuring Kendrick Lamar with_ 'Bad Blood'.»

As soon as the song started, Keith cringed a little inside. Allura laughed. “That's awesome! I hope Lotor with his Talent Show Judge face was listening.”

The boat's horn was louder than Shiro's comment on that. From where Keith stood, he could finally see the pier of the small town-like area but beyond that everything was just woods and cliffs. It was a beautiful island and even though its location in the middle of nowhere should concern Keith, he didn't find it as nerve wrecking as at the beginning. He genuinely looked forward to this adventure, to the people he was to meet in the next thirty minutes and this weekend away from responsibilities and expectations.

 

 

Little did Keith know, that he was going to regret everything.

 


End file.
